After several months in beta, Apple's revamped iOS 7 is finally nearing release. At its media event in Cupertino today, Apple announced that the new software would begin rolling out on September 18; Apple gave us our first preview of the new operating system at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) back in June.

The most obvious change to the operating system is its design, the first top-to-bottom rethinking of the way iOS looks since it was launched in 2007. Faux-realistic textures and shiny buttons have all been jettisoned in favor of a cleaner, brighter look with flat colors and gradients and lightweight fonts. The new interface also takes more advantage of the GPU in your phone or tablet, making more extensive use of animations and semi-transparent overlays than in iOS 6 and previous versions. For all of these changes, iOS 7 should still be familiar to current iOS users. Apps are still arranged in a simple grid icon on the home screen. Opening, switching between, and working within apps is going to work pretty much the same way it does in iOS 6.

The design of the final version of the operating system is broadly similar to the preview that Apple gave us back at WWDC. Apple fan sites that got their hands on preview builds have published lists of tweaks both large and small—the final version includes some changed icons and a heavier font compared to the early betas, for example. These changes aside, what you'll be getting on your phone with the public release will look very much like what was demonstrated when the software was announced.

The new design is a big deal, but it's not the only new feature that iOS 7 brings to the table. The new Control Center will give iOS users easier access to media playback controls, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles, brightness controls, and other shortcuts. AirDrop support (mostly limited to newer iOS devices) will allow for quicker and easier sharing of media between your phone or tablet and your Mac. The new iCloud Keychain will (at least theoretically) allow for secure password sharing between your iOS devices and your OS X 10.9-equipped Macs. And while they won't be immediately visible to end users, a pile of new APIs should allow developers to make better, more versatile apps.

Existing apps and features from Safari to Game Center have also been overhauled, not just in design but also in features. The App Store, for example, will now auto-update apps if you allow it to, eliminating that annoying ever-present red badge that always seems to need your attention (and adding a feature that Google Play users have been enjoying for quite some time now). Safari can now open more than eight tabs at once, and it stacks those tabs on top of each other so that you can see more of them at a glance. The multitasking UI has been rethought, making it easier to see what was happening in your apps the last time you used them and easier to dismiss those apps if you don't want to see them. Also appearing is an updated Camera app and accompanying camera roll, with a new square aspect ratio, new photo effects, and a new Airdrop function to share images directly between iPhones. The full list of changes is longer than we will publish here, but suffice it to say that no corner of the operating system has been left untouched. In Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi's words, "downloading iOS 7 is like getting an all-new device."

The new operating system will support the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5; the fifth-generation iPod touch; and the iPad 2, iPad mini, and both Retina iPads. It's the end of the line for both the iPhone 3GS and the fourth-generation iPod touch. All devices will be receiving the update on the same day—rumors that the iPad builds of the operating system were running behind were greatly exaggerated. We'll be giving iOS 7 the full review treatment when it is released to the public.

Apple's event is currently in progress, and we will update this article as more details become available. Ars is there in person, so for up-to-the-minute information, you can follow our liveblog.

35 Reader Comments

Not to be that commenter. But you left in both prepared versions for whether or not the iPad release is delayed. The illusion that you write these articles from start to finish in under two minutes after the announcement is shattered!

It must be really hard to walk in Steve Job's shoes, with so much riding on any changes that are made. I give the design team credit for evolving, however it would be nice to be able to change the icons to the older look. Even better would be an animation for the transformation.

I mean, you have to give Apple credit: the 2010-vintage iPhone 4 is going to get this update. I can't think of a single Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry contemporary that will get an (official) release of Android 4.3, WP8 GDR3 or BBOS 10.2, respectively.

The foremost question on my mind is performance: how much will this update slow down my 4S? I remember how updating to iOS 4 made my 3G unusably slow, and I'm not eager to go through that again.

I've run all of the beta's on my 4S.

Battery life was great until one of the later beta's that totally drained the battery in a couple of hours, the latest beta however fixed that issue.

Performance seems pretty good overall, sometimes the OS will seem to pause and take a deep breath before doing what you asked it to do, this was way more of an issue in the early betas than now, but it is still a slightly random event now.

In general it seems perfectly fine on a 4S, less so on an iPad 2 though......

I'm surprised to hear the same day release for iPads. It was my understanding the iPad builds were well behind the iPhone builds. Still, I'm looking forward to the new OS and throwing it through it's paces.

iOS 7 has awesome features under the hood. I don't care if Apple innovated them or stole them. I still want them.

But the look is all wrong, for all the reasons zav just said. Many icons are amateurish. The whole thing is sterile and clinical. It does not connect with the instinctual part of the human brain which beckons for it to be touched because it has no texture. In some regards, it could be considered pretty, but in a museum exhibit sort of way. Observe, but DO NOT TOUCH.

iOS 7 has awesome features under the hood. I don't care if Apple innovated them or stole them. I still want them.

But the look is all wrong, for all the reasons zav just said. Many icons are amateurish. The whole thing is sterile and clinical. It does not connect with the instinctual part of the human brain which beckons for it to be touched because it has no texture. In some regards, it could be considered pretty, but in a museum exhibit sort of way. Observe, but DO NOT TOUCH.

I agree so much and that's what is so sad. The functionality is GREAT! The look is childish and is for someone who has rod and cone damage and has a problem seeing primary colors.

I do not want my eyes to bleed when looking at the device I am trying to use!

And what is ironic is that there are SO MANY THINGS that are done wrong where Apple previously went out of their way to define GREAT standards.

After seeing the iOS 7 pictures last month I gave Apple the benefit of the doubt: perhaps the candy colours look in fact good on a phone where they look childish on a computer screen. You know, different environments. unfortunately, I saw a developer version today, and it really does look like a sweet shop. I am not sure if I will upgrade my iPhone or my iPad.

Not to be that commenter. But you left in both prepared versions for whether or not the iPad release is delayed. The illusion that you write these articles from start to finish in under two minutes after the announcement is shattered!

Fortunately for Ars, you're the only person for whom that illusion even exists.

I mean, you have to give Apple credit: the 2010-vintage iPhone 4 is going to get this update. I can't think of a single Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry contemporary that will get an (official) release of Android 4.3, WP8 GDR3 or BBOS 10.2, respectively.

Yes, but when an Android phone gets an update, they get everything. I wonder what features will be excluded on older devices.

Why is this being downvoted? He makes a good point that every time a new version of iOS rolls out it's feature incomplete on the older devices, and often performs terribly.

Am I the only one that does not like the new icons? I definitely prefer the current-gen artwork all the way around.

I hate the new look so, so, so, much. I just spent money on an iPad so that I can have one with iOS 6 on it.

So you like it more than I do.

I dislike it so much, I changed from "I am going to buy an iPad", to "I am going to buy an Android tablet". The iOS 7 eyesore, is the future of Apple and buying an older device is only a stopgap measure. You really can't escape this mess if you go Apple.

After seeing this, I really do think Steve Jobs was the only guy with taste at Apple. The only way I would consider this mess acceptable is if Apple started a system for iOS UI skinning, and this was the "kiddie clown show" skin and they still had a "classic" skin for adults.

I mean, you have to give Apple credit: the 2010-vintage iPhone 4 is going to get this update. I can't think of a single Android, Windows Phone or BlackBerry contemporary that will get an (official) release of Android 4.3, WP8 GDR3 or BBOS 10.2, respectively.

Yes, but when an Android phone gets an update, they get everything. I wonder what features will be excluded on older devices.

Why is this being downvoted? He makes a good point that every time a new version of iOS rolls out it's feature incomplete on the older devices, and often performs terribly.

Because what they add requires more power to pull off. It may even require hardware that simply wasn't on the older phones. The trade off is do you have everything the OS can do on old phones to the point where the old phone simply chugs along or do you remove features that are nice to have but not necessary and that old phone runs pretty well still?

Give me lack of features but remain useable over full features turning my device into a brick any day of the week.

Incidentally it's Wednesday 18 2013 at 12:49PM here in NZ. No sign of the OS. Apple used to push updates to NZ and Aus first but not this time. Stink.